The Walking Dead: Sharing our TWD Family stories
By Renee Hansen
I was dead set I would never watch TWD
Jeffrey says:
In 2010, I saw advertisements for a zombie apocalypse drama and I was dead set that I would never watch it out of sheer fear and disgust. Two years later when I was a freshman in high school, I would listen to my friends discuss the show at the lunch table, completely confused, but weirdly engrossed in this show I had never seen and had sworn to never watch. I heard talk of a big showdown between two characters named Rick and Shane, as well as lots of gnarly zombie action.
Admittedly, I was interested by this point and during the summer hiatus after season 2, I decided to bite the bullet and watch. In just a few days, I watched all 19 episodes that had aired so far, hiding my face during the scary moments. From the second Rick Grimes stepped foot out of his police cruiser in the opening scene of the first episode, I was hooked and there was no going back.
Shortly after binging through the first two seasons, I began telling everyone I knew about the greatness that is The Walking Dead. I forced it on friends and family, even strangers. Sunday nights became dedicated to TWD in my house in which my parents, both of whom unexpectedly also came to love the series, would watch with me and discuss afterward.
In 2014, I decided to take my love of the series to a new level by creating a Twitter fan account and connecting with the larger fandom online. It was here that my obsession with the show really helped me to make so many interesting friends all around the world who also shared in the zombie mania. By live-tweeting new episodes and covering news about TWD, Fear the Walking Dead, and the larger universe, I have been able to really come to understand and appreciate the franchise on a much deeper level than ever before.
Quite possibly the coolest part of being a fan for me has been the interactivity with the cast. When I first started watching the show back in 2012, I never imagined that I would ever get to meet numerous members of the cast and actually have one-on-one conversations with them. I have attended three Walker Stalker Conventions and have met roughly 30 members of the casts of both shows. Anyone who has met the cast members can tell you that they are among the most down to earth people and really love and appreciate connecting with the fans. These are truly among my all-time favorite memories and I will always cherish the opportunities I’ve had to meet them.
The Walking Dead franchise has given me so many unique experiences and opportunities that I am forever grateful for. While my love for the series may make me seem like a crazy fanboy at times, it is so much more than just watching a fictional zombie show. This franchise has taught me a lot about myself and what I am capable of accomplishing. Seeing ordinary people survive the dead taking over the world has helped me realize that I am strong enough to face what life throws at me. If these characters can evolve into badasses and fight through hordes of undead, I can navigate through the craziness of becoming an adult and diving into the real world. It’s also just refreshing to escape from the hectic real world sometimes and dive headfirst into a fictional world of walkers.